Side by sideMicrosoft (MSFT) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW)Memos of October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026
Microsoft vs Palo Alto Networks stock: side by side (October 2026)
How do Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks compare?
| Microsoft MSFT | Palo Alto Networks PANW | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 17.8%Year to Jun 2026 | 24.5%Jul 2026 |
| Operating margin | 46.8%Year to Jun 2026 | 6.1%Jul 2026 |
| Free cash flow | 66,987US$ millions · Year to Jun 2026 | 4,113US$ millions · Jul 2026 |
| Free cash flow yield | 1.7%Today (Oct 8, 2026) | 1.2%Today (Oct 12, 2026) |
| Dividend yield | 0.8%Today (Oct 8, 2026) | 0.0%Today (Oct 12, 2026) |
| P/E, last 12 months | 29.1xToday (Oct 8, 2026) | 821.1xToday (Oct 12, 2026) |
| P/E, next 12 months | 22.2xToday (Oct 8, 2026) | 86.1xToday (Oct 12, 2026) |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | 519.25 (+0 %)October 2027 | 230.62 (-45 %)October 2027 |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | 392.64 (-22 %)October 2029 | 280.57 (-33 %)October 2029 |
Read the full Microsoft memoRead the full Palo Alto Networks memoYour first report is free · no card
Who leads on what?
| Leads | The lead is | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | Palo Alto Networks | The higher figure |
| Operating margin | Microsoft | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow | Microsoft | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow yield | Microsoft | The higher figure |
| Dividend yield | Microsoft | The higher figure |
| P/E, last 12 months | Microsoft | The lower figure |
| P/E, next 12 months | Microsoft | The lower figure |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | Microsoft | The higher weighted return |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | Microsoft | The higher weighted return |
What does each company do?
Microsoft sells workplace software, cloud computing, business applications, LinkedIn services, Windows, games, devices and advertising to businesses, governments, developers and consumers.
Microsoft (MSFT), from our memo of October 10, 2026 · Microsoft stock forecast
Palo Alto Networks protects organizations with firewalls that check traffic and block unauthorized access, cloud-delivered access, cloud and endpoint security, identity tools, and security-operations software.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW), from our memo of October 12, 2026 · Palo Alto Networks stock forecast
Read the full Microsoft memoRead the full Palo Alto Networks memoYour first report is free · no card
More on Microsoft
More on Palo Alto Networks
Side by side
NVIDIA vs MicrosoftApple vs MicrosoftAlphabet vs MicrosoftMicrosoft vs AmazonMicrosoft vs MetaMicrosoft vs Palantir